It's semi-official: Strayhorn to run for Governor

Thus sayeth the Quorum Report:

Reliable sources tell QR that Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn will announce her candidacy for the Republican nomination as Governor this Saturday.

We have not yet received direct confirmation from her campaign office but have enough confidence in our sources to run with this story.

Plans may change, but what we have confirmed are that calls are being made giving supporters a heads up about the pending announcement.

Who'd have thought Strayhorn would beat KBH to the punch? I suppose that's the downside to doing the world's longest political snakedance.

Lots of commentary already - Houtopia, Burnt Orange, In the Pink, PerryVsWorld. The consensus, and it's one I generally agree with, is that having both CKS and KBH in the race benefits Rick Perry, as the two women are going to be competing for similar voters. Still, though, as with the Kinky situation, both of them will be attacking Perry, and both of them will give any wavering Perry supporter an alternative that he or she wouldn't have had otherwise. And who knows, we might actually see a little substance in the debate now, since CKS has actual policy preference differences.

Does Strayhorn's entry into the race make KBH less likely to get in? I kind of doubt it - I suspect KBH thinks she can win against anybody - but as PerryVsWorld points out, she would be potentially leaving a fairly high leadership post behind if she comes back to Austin. I suppose there are worse problems to have.

In a way, I'm almost surprised that Strayhorn decided to run for Governor, even though she's been sort of running for it since 2003. All the KBH speculation has shunted her out of the spotlight, and even though she generated some buzz by being first to market, much of the chatter has been about how this benefits Perry and KBH. It's very much as if the spectators expect her to be nothing more than a spoiler. Either she knows something the rest of us don't, or she's in for a rude surprise.

UPDATE: Here's an early wire report.

Republican Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has reserved a prime piece of downtown property for a Saturday event, fueling speculation she's preparing to announce her 2006 campaign plans for governor or lieutenant governor.

An invitation to Saturday's outdoor event just north of the Capitol promises a "major announcement," complete with free hot dogs, drinks and music. Strayhorn, a 65-year-old maverick within the GOP, has long been considered a potential candidate for one of the state's top two posts.

Calls to Strayhorn's office by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

I can't say whether that "governor or lieutenant governor" bit is mere speculation or more solidly grounded, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on June 15, 2005 to Election 2006 | TrackBack